AOL attempting relevancy again with AOL Reader

Private beta sign-ups now open

AOL may not be the internet service provider it once was all those years ago, but that doesn't mean America Online doesn't still provide some useful services.

In fact, the company is right now readying its very own Google Reader replacement, which it surely hopes will attract the soon-to-be lost souls being abandoned by Google on July 1.

AOL Reader won't be available until Monday, but there are private beta sign-ups happening right now to whet your whistle for the full service.

While we don't know all the details on AOL Reader, we do know it will allow for layout customization, importing/exporting of subscriptions from other readers, and will even let developers create their own applications for web, desktop and mobile.

It will also apparently support LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook based on the site's CSS styles.

You've got competition

AOL is hardly the first company to attempt crafting an easy-to-use replacement for Google's departing RSS reader.

Other site's like Feedly and BlogLovin have already captured some of the audience, with Digg set to launch its RSS reader in just a few days.

Facebook is also believed to be readying its own RSS service, which would work directly inside the social network's existing configuration, but didn't make any such announcements at its event earlier this week.

For its part, AOL has already come up with a tagline for AOL Reader, which states, "All your favorite websites, in one place."

Just how well the reader will work, and how many people will flock to the brand once it's open to the public, remains to be seen.

There's clearly a sizable market out there for users seeking an RSS reader, despite Google's claims, but with so many new services springing up, the market might be more diluted than ever.